As part of their capstone project, graduate students in Planning and Public Affairs analyzed the current opioid crisis in the greater Clinton area and made policy recommendations to address the issue. 

Students and faculty in the School of Planning and Public Affairs conducted a survey of employee satisfaction, needs, and opportunities among City of Clinton employees. 

In the spring of 2023, the City of Clinton requested assistance from the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities (IISC) to conduct a survey of the City’s workforce. The survey aimed to provide employees with an opportunity to express their opinions, concerns, and ideas about their work environment, department/organizational culture, and overall job satisfaction.

For their capstone project, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering designed a primitive campground site for Eagle Point Park in Clinton, IA. The site will provide a new outdoor experience for local residents and attract visitors to the area. It has drive-in tent camping as well as several walk-in sites. The campground also adds a new restroom and storm shelter to the park.

Students in a course in the School of Planning and Public Affairs developed recommendations for revitalizing Clinton's alleyways with improved pavers, public art, and other modifications.

Downtown alleyways often serve important functions, such as waste management or service entrances for businesses. However, communities are increasingly recognizing alleyways as opportunities to create unique public spaces while also improving water runoff.

Arman Hodasefat, an MFA student in Cinematic Arts, created a short documentary film about the Bethel AME Church in Clinton, a historic church that served many members of the Black and African American community and others in Clinton.

Civil and Environmental Engineering students studied options for building on several city-owned vacant lots in Clinton with an emphasis on low- and medium-income single-family homes. For their senior capstone project, the team researched the costs of various housing materials, styles of housing, as well as financing options. They provided plans for two sites, each with design and amenities options for potential residents. 

Students in a course in the School of Planning and Public Affairs developed recommendations to "green" downtown Clinton by improving opportunities for cycling.

A student in Cinematic Arts created a video to promote the strengths of the city of Clinton. The video has multiple purposes, including to promote tourism and share with prospective businesses. 

As part of their Senior Design Capstone course, Civil & Environmental Engineering students created plans for a new stormwater utility to establish an equitable system to charge customers. 

For their capstone project, graduate students in Public Affairs worked with city officials to identify strategies to address drug misuse trends among youth in Clinton, Iowa.

Students in a course in the School of Planning and Public Affairs developed recommendations to help address homelessness in Clinton. 

For their capstone project, students in the School of Planning and Public Affairs created an updated Housing Needs Assessment, a tool to help decision-makers ensure that existing and future residents can find safe, secure, and quality housing that meets their needs and budgets.

Students in the College of Engineering's Civil Engineering area completed their undergraduate capstone projects with a focus on Clinton's Riverview Park. Because the park is the site of a new festival is bringing a much larger number of visitors to the area than in the past, the City asked the team to develop plans to upgrade current facilities and add new fixtures to better accommodate the park's evolving use.

For their graduating capstone project, students in Civil and Environmental Engineering created a proposal for a new trail system aimed at cyclists and pedestrians that would connect downtown Clinton to its industrial quarter on the south side.

Students in a course in the School of Planning and Public Affairs examined ways to reignite Clinton's Mayor's Youth Commission. They made recommendations about this entity, as well as other ways to better engage teens in the civic fabric of the community.

Marketing Institute students from the College of Business worked with local officials to develop a fresh marketing communication plan to attract new residents, visitors, and businesses to the area. They surveyed more than 1,000 individuals regarding their perceptions of Clinton, gathered information about young professionals areas of employment interest and favorite pastimes, and reviewed current websites and social media.

Sean Tyler, a graduate student in the School of Art & Art History, collaborated with downtown Clinton officials and business owner Kim Rentz to design a mural that captures the character of both a downtown anchor business, Keeping You Sewing, and elements of Clinton's history and surroundings. 

IISC staff used GIS to convert legal descriptions in the City of Clinton code into GIS shapefiles to aid city staff and developers. 

For their capstone project, students in Planning and Sustainable Development created plans and strategies to develop Liberty Square, a narrow stretch of primarily city-owned property that runs between and adjacent to the split four lanes of Highway 30. 

Students from the School of Library and Information Science undertook a project to collect and digitize the records of local historians regarding the history of the Underground Railroad in Clinton. 

The Clinton area's role in the Underground Railroad is not widely known, even among local residents. This projected culminated in creation of a publicly accessible LibGuide, an easy-to-use content management system.